Abstract
We examined the production of an antimicrobial component, 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA), in laboratory-scale silage inoculated with Lactobacillus coryniformis strain 394, which ferments glycerol to 3-HPA. A modified colorimetric method that used an NaOH-treated blank and determined the absorption spectrum of the samples was employed to detect a 3-HPA-like component (HLC) that was assumed to be 3-HPA. Inoculation with Lb. coryniformis 394 plus glycerol in ensiling produced HLC at 10–460 ppm and contributed to inhibition of butyric fermentation and retardation of aerobic spoilage. HLC was considered to be 3-HPA from its absorption spectrum. These results suggest that the production of 3-HPA by Lb. coryniformis 394 is useful in ensiling and that the modified colorimetric method is effective to detect 3-HPA in silage.